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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tube — a container
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rush — hurry
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com